Author Archives: rpc14

Unique abecedarium showcased in new exhibit

Starting with something as simple as the “ABCs,” the Penn State University Libraries is presenting “ABC: An Abecedarium from the 15th to the 21st Century,” an exhibit that showcases typography, calligraphy and the re-imaging of letters throughout history. While a traditional abecedarium displays the alphabet in order, this exhibit, located in the Eberly Family Special Collections Library, 104 Paterno Library, University Park, features a mix of items by chronology, style, format and medium. Open through Sunday, Sept. 10, this fascinating exhibit is available for viewing during the Special Collections Library’s operating hours.

Sandra Stelts, curator of rare books and manuscripts, selected examples from the collections that ranged from an early hornbook (a primer for children’s study), pieces of metal type and metal signboard stencils, to medieval manuscript leaves and ornate book chapter initials featuring decorations and images related to the text. For example, one elaborate chapter initial from an 18th-century Italian architecture book features a cherub, coat-of-arms and an imaginary architectural background.

Of the 60 items in the exhibition, some are books opened to a single page with a spectacularly decorated initial and others are paper constructions that show the alphabet in its entirety. Twenty-six items have been identified with a Scrabble letter that enables viewers to engage in a scavenger hunt by locating each letter of the alphabet somewhere in the display.

One of the most recent additions to the Special Collections Library was a perfect fit for the Abecedarium exhibit — Stelts purchased an ABC book published in four languages, German, Dutch, French and English, from a visiting Dutch bookseller. One of the hand-colored illustrations from the 1816 book, “Gallery of Theodore, with 24 Coloured Engravings,” was added to the exhibit in June. Another item, directly tied to the history of Penn State, is a knitted Penn State varsity letter sweater representing the letter “S.” The sweater, a part of the University Sports Archives’ “relics” collection, was worn by gymnast J. Curtis Hoyt, a 1932 graduate in electrical engineering, and donated by his son, Curtis W. Hoyt, class of 1968.

The entire Penn State News article can be viewed online. An 8.5×11 promotional PDF with information about this exhibit is available for download to print or share with colleagues.For more information or for questions about accommodations provided for this exhibit, contact Julie Porterfield at 814-865-1793 or jmp48@psu.edu in advance of your visit.

Five scholars selected for 2017 summer research travel awards

The Eberly Family Special Collections Library recently announced the winners of the 2017 research travel awards program. This annual program, now in its sixth year, offers travel awards to researchers whose work would benefit from accessing the collections at the Penn State University Libraries.

All five winners will visit the Special Collections Library at University Park and will give an informal one-hour brown bag presentation about their research projects. Members of the public are welcome to attend any or all of the “learn at lunch” sessions from noon to 1 p.m. on July 20, July 27, Aug. 2, Aug. 4 and Aug. 11 in the Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library.

The Albert M. Petska Eighth Air Force Archives Research Travel Award
Marla Okner, independent scholar
Thursday, July 20
Mary Ann O’Brian Malkin Research Award
Tilden Russell, professor emeritus at Southern Connecticut State University
Thursday, July 27
Dorothy Foehr Huck Research Travel Award
Kinohi Nishikawa, assistant professor of English and African-American studies at Princeton University
Wednesday, Aug. 2
Dorothy Foehr Huck Research Travel Award
Kristoffer Smemo, doctoral candidate at the University of California, Santa Barbara
Friday, Aug. 4
Through the Flower Research Travel Award
Monica Steinberg, postdoctoral research fellow in the history department at the University of Southern California
Friday, Aug. 11.

The entire Penn State News article, with details about each of the winners and their projects, can be viewed online. An 8.5×11 promotional poster for these research presentations is available as a downloadable PDF to print or share. For more information about these “learn at lunch” programs or for questions about accommodations or the physical access provided, contact Julie Porterfield at jmp48@psu.edu or 814-865-1793 in advance of the event.

Discovery Day pictures, presentations available

The 2017 Discovery Day was a huge success! We thank each and every one of you who made this event possible.

For pictures from the event, please visit the Discovery Day staff site.

Slideshow presentations are also available on the Discovery Day schedule page. For presenters who would like to make their presentations available, please email Angel at anb149@psu.edu.

Anticipate the next question

A great way to provide outstanding service via email is to anticipate the next question and answer that one too. This saves a lot of back and forth and helps the customer feel good about the resolution.

Jeff Toister of Toister Performance Solutions, Inc. provides an example when a customer might email to ask if you have a particular item in stock. A good customer service professional would reply quickly with the answer.

A great customer service professional would reply quickly with the answer along with ordering information (such as a phone number or website) if the product is in stock or suggested alternatives if the product is not in stock.

Bonus info: Anticipation can sometimes get us into trouble and this article gives some examples of what can happen when our focus is only on what we know.

– submitted by Carmen Gass, User Training Services

Reminder: Libraries’ blood drive June 21

Help someone else in need this month by donating a unit of blood at the University Libraries’ blood drive from noon to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21. The Red Cross blood drive will be held in the Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Tech Tip: Privilege Guard renamed to DefendPoint

by Ryan Johnson, I-Tech

The University Libraries Current tool for installing programs on Windows, Privilege Guard, has been updated to a new name, DefendPoint. The name will change only in your Windows start menu.

DefendPoint will look and function in the same manner as Privilege Guard did, including retaining the name Privilege Guard when installing a program.

To install a program, download the file to your machine, right-click and select Run with Privilege Guard (audited).

You will then be prompted to enter a reason for why you’re installing the software. Enter a reason and select OK.

Please let us know if you have any questions or need any assistance by submitting a ticket to our helpdesk at https://staff.libraries.psu.edu/libraries-technology-i-tech/itrequest/ithelp

Events: June 19

Summer 2017

Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Through Sunday, July 30, “The Painted Photograph: Selections from the B. & H. Henisch Photo-History Collection,” Pattee Library operating hours, Paterno Family Reading Room, 201A Pattee Library, University Park.

Through Wednesday, August 9, 2017: “Plastics: Knowledge and Information Taking Shape” exhibit, Pattee Library operating hours, Sidewater Commons and central entrance, Pattee Library, University Park.

Through Friday, August 30, 2017: “100 Years of the Pulitzers: Celebrating Our Humanity,” exhibit, Arts and Humanities Library operating hours, Diversity Studies Room, 203 Patee Library, University Park.

Through Sunday, September 10, 2017: “ABC: An Abecedarium from the 15th to the 21st Century” exhibit, Eberly Family Special Collections Library, 104 Paterno Library, Paterno Library operating hours, University Park.

Wednesday, June 21: University Libraries’ Blood Drive, noon-5:30 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, June 21: State College Police Department K9 Unit Community Education Presentation, 2-3 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park, and on Mediasite Live.

Friday, June 23: last day of classes, first six-week summer session, University Park.

Saturday-Sunday, June 24-25: study days, first six-week summer session, University Park.

Sunday, June 25: arrival day, second six-week summer session, University Park.

Monday, June 26: final exams, first six-week summer session, University Park.

Wednesday, June 28: first day of classes, second six-week summer session, University Park.

Tuesday, July 4: Independence Day, no classes.

Wednesday, July 5: Docunight: Iran via Documentaries, documentary screening of a film about, around, or in Iran, or made by Iranians, 7 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, July 6, Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Monday, July 10, Data Days, various locations at Pattee Library and Paterno Library, University Park. Register here.

Thursday, July 13, Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Wednesday-Sunday, July 13-16, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, Children’s Day July 12, BookFest July 15, State College and University Park campus.

Tuesday, July 18: Summer Academy for the Blind at Penn State, 90-minute discussion, 1:30-3 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, July 19: PA Forward Information Literacy Summit, Pattee Library and Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, July 20: Special Collections Library Research Travel Awards “Learn at Lunch” presentation, by Albert M. Petska Eighth Air Force Archives winner Marla Okner, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, July 20, Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Wednesday, July 26: Open House Volunteer Kickoff Party, 3 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, July 27: Special Collections Library Research Travel Awards “Learn at Lunch” presentation, by Mary Ann O’Brian Malkin Research Award winner Tilden Russell, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, July 27, Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Wednesday, Aug. 2: Special Collections Library Research Travel Awards “Learn at Lunch” presentation, by Dorothy Foehr Huck Research Award winner Kinohi Nishikawa, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Aug. 2: Docunight: Iran via Documentaries, documentary screening of a film about, around, or in Iran, or made by Iranians, 7 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Aug. 2, Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Friday, Aug. 4: Special Collections Library Research Travel Awards “Learn at Lunch” presentation, by Dorothy Foehr Huck Research Award winner Kristoffer Smemo, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Aug. 9: last day of classes, second six-week summer session, University Park.

Thursday, Aug.10: study day, second six-week summer session, University Park.

Wednesday, Aug. 10, Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., special pop-up event with coffee and snacks, Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Friday, August 11: Final exams, second six-week summer session, University Park.

Friday, Aug. 11: Special Collections Library Research Travel Awards “Learn at Lunch” presentation, by Through the Flower Research Travel Award winner Monica Steinberg, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Saturday, August 12: Summer Commencement, University Park.

Tuesday, August 15: Tech Update, by I-Tech, 10-11 a.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, August 16: University Libraries Picnic, 5-8 p.m., Holmes-Foster Park, State College. All University Libraries current and retired employees and their families invited. RSVP details to come.

Friday-Sunday, August 18-20: Arrival days

Monday, August 21: First day of fall semester classes

Tuesday, August 29: Open House Volunteer Training, 2-3 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, August 30: Open House Volunteer Training, 11 a.m.-noon, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Please submit event information to Public Relations and Marketing via the Library News submission form.

PA Forward Information Literacy Summit at University Park July 19

square image with yellow light bulb and multicolored gears graphic, with text about theme of 2017 information literacy summit for Pennsylvania librarians Librarians from across Pennsylvania will meet at Penn State’s University Park campus on Wednesday, July 19, to discuss “Libraries and Maker Culture: Co-constructing Learning Experiences and Learning Environments,” the theme of the 2017 PA Forward Information Literacy Summit. Hosted annually by the Penn State University Libraries in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, the one-day event’s registration is open now through July 12 on a space-limited basis to 110 attendees.

The Information Literacy Summit’s morning keynote speaker is Heather Moorefield-Lang, assistant professor in the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina’s College of Information and Communications. Moorefield-Lang teaches information technologies in the School Library Media Program and School Library Media Program Development. Her research is focused on technology in education and libraries, specifically honing in on the narratives and uses of technology-based tools in those settings. She also is the current chair of the American Association of School Librarians’ Best Websites for Teaching and Learning Committee.

Morning breakout sessions will cover topics such as “Maker Culture in Online Spaces,” “A Making Curriculum,” “Developing a Digital Media Lab and Makerspace” and “Triple Threat Making in One-Shot Sessions.” The afternoon includes lightning talks and workshops on a variety of maker-related topics for students ranging from young children and DIY experiences to undergraduate students using 3-D objects in a humanities research context.

For more information about the 2017 Information Literacy Summit, or if you anticipate needing accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, contact Rebecca Miller, head of Penn State University Libraries’ Library Learning Services, at rkm17@psu.edu or 814-865-3064.

Green presents at national conference

Kristin E.C. Green, acting head librarian and reference librarian at Penn State Worthington Scranton, was a presenter at The Innovative Library Classroom Conference (TILC) at Radford University in Radford, Virginia, in May.

Her session, titled “Dust off those Encyclopedias: Using Reference Sources to Teach the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy,” was formulated around the question, “What if the ideal tools for teaching undergraduate students the most critical information literacy concepts have been sitting in the stacks all along collecting dust, or wading out in digital space unencountered?

woman standing by shelves of library books

Kristin E.C. Green, image by Noelle Sweeney

Reference sources are an optimal medium to introduce all six of the ACRL Framework’s central concepts for information literacy, Green explains. Additionally, by understanding a reference source’s place in the information search process, students learn to consciously avoid the common pitfall of neglecting exploratory research before specifying their research topics. Thus, incorporating reference sources thoughtfully into instructional design contributes to the development of both information literacy and metacognition.

The innovation in this session lies not in the advocacy of using reference materials as instructional tools for information literacy education, but in using reference materials through the lens of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, Green said. It is in this combination of the newer theoretical model with the traditional aspects of the information search process and correlating the optimal resources of reference materials that will provide participants with a fresh perspective on their own lesson planning.

The full Penn State news article can be read online here: http://news.psu.edu/story/470640/2017/06/05/academics/worthington-scranton-librarian-presents-national-conference.

Savvy searchers win Libraries’ Information Literacy Awards

A visual display went up last week in the Franklin Atrium in Pattee Library, University Park, to further recognize the Information Literacy Award winners from this year’s Undergraduate Research Exhibition. I invite you to check out the students’ research posters as you pass through!

The display will be up through September 30, 2017 and is in a high traffic area in hopes of inspiring students to participate in the Exhibition.

A huge thanks to all who made this display possible!

Nathan Valchar
Christina Coyle
Terry Williams
Len White
Rick Riccardo
Rebecca Miller

– submitted by Rebecca Peterson, Library Learning Services

Klee wins Libraries’ 2017 Data Visualization Award

Sara Klee, 2017 Data Visualization Award winner

USDA NIFA Predoctoral Fellow and Ph.D. candidate Sara Klee was selected as the winner of the 2017 Data Visualization Award, offered by the University Libraries’ Data Learning Center. Klee earned second place in the health and life sciences poster competition for her poster, “Taking Advantage of Native Phyllobacteria to Manage Fire Blight Disease in Pennsylvania’s Apple Orchards.”

Designed to increase digital information literacy by raising awareness of the importance of data visualization, the award celebrates good examples and provides a $250 prize to overall winners in the Graduate Exhibition poster session, with data visualization judged separately from the other poster criteria.

Klee’s poster is shared on ScholarSphere, Penn State University’s institutional repository, under a Creative Commons license. Please visit the ScholarSphere site to learn more about this service.

The full list of Graduate Exhibition winners can be viewed here: http://news.psu.edu/story/459244/2017/03/29/2017-graduate-exhibition-award-winners-announced.

For more information, please contact the Data Learning Center via datalearning@psu.edu.

Interlibrary Loan/Resource Sharing Manager candidate presentations

The search committee for the Interlibrary Loan/Resource Sharing Manager position is pleased to announce upcoming interviews for three candidates. We invite you to join us for their presentations in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library:

June 16, 2017: 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
June 19, 2017: 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
June 28, 2017: 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Each candidate is asked to address the following in their presentation:
“Penn State University Libraries Interlibrary Loan has been recognized nationally for excellence in service and innovation. Given a rapidly changing environment in higher education, how would you build on our reputation and lead us forward into the future?”

For those who cannot attend in person, a Mediasite Live recording will be available for approximately three days following each presentation. Staff must log in to view these sessions.

– submitted by Melody Gelbach, Access Services

Register now for Library Data Days at University Park July 10

Library Data Days is a full day of hands-on and informational sessions around the use of data in our daily decision making and in research. This Library Assessment and Metrics Council event is scheduled for Monday, July 10 at University Park. Library Administration is funding the event and travel for anyone interested in attending from outside of University Park.

See the tentative schedule below for information on sessions.

Join us for part of, or the full day and learn from colleagues about different approaches to working with data, the data we collect, how it’s used, and how it informs our decisions. We look forward to seeing you there!

The tentative schedule is as follows:
8:30-9:00 a.m.
Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library
Light refreshments

9:00-10:00 a.m.
Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library
Quantitative & Qualitative Methods and Theories
Heather Froehlich, Alessia Zanin-Yost, Nancy Adams

10:00-10:10 a.m.
Break
Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library

10:10-noon
Pattee Library, 211A
Qualtrics: Best Practices & Survey Design Workshop
Nancy Adams, Steve Borrelli

10:10-noon
Pattee Library, 211A
Gentle Introduction to the R Statistical Package
Rob Olendorf

Noon-1:00 p.m.
Lunch
Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library

1:00-2:00 p.m.
Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library
External Reporting: The Data We Collect and Report Out On
Lana Munip, Steve Borrelli

2:00-3:00 p.m.
Location TBD
How to Create a Representative Sample for Research
Victoria Raish, Nathan Piekielek

2:00-3:00 p.m.
Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library
Open Data, A Primer for Librarians and an Introduction to Library Data Services
Rob Olendorf

3:00-3:15 p.m
Break
Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library

3:15-4:15 p.m.
Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library
Using Data in Decision Making
Nan Butkovich, Valerie Lynn, Heather Benner, Joe Fennewald

– submitted by Steve Borrelli, Assessment

Libraries classrooms best practices: Using the projector

We’ve been having problems with the touchscreen panels in some of the rooms, so here are a few tips to help avoid it in the future. Remember, all of these instructions are on the podiums in each of the rooms and you can always contact me, Rebecca Peterson (865-9257), with any questions that you have!

When turning on the projectors in the rooms, always use the touchscreen panel on the podium. Don’t use the remote or try to turn the projector on with the power button on the projector. These methods disrupt the connection between the projector and the touchscreen panel. Unfortunately, if the projector just isn’t turning on, we need MTSS to come and fix it.

But what if you’re getting ready to teach a class and the projector won’t turn on? If you use our classrooms, you’ve likely experienced this at least once.

Call me at 865-9257. My number is also on the instructions located on all of the podiums. I will do all I can to help you with your technical problems, or get you moved to another available classroom.
Call MTSS at 865-7324 if the projector is acting up.
Call I-Tech at 865-2378 if the computer isn’t working.
302 Paterno is the exception. Because it is a General Purpose Classroom, you will want to call one of the numbers posted on the side of the podium as they’ll be able to get you help faster. You are still welcome to contact me if you’d like to try and quickly be moved to another room or if you have a question about supplies in the room.

In the end, please report any and all problems you notice in the classroom to me. Feel free to email me at rmr28@psu.edu with any problems you experience and I will get them fixed asap! I appreciate everyone’s help in keeping our classrooms working properly!

In the near future, I will be going on maternity leave. Megan Gilpin (mcg13@psu.edu, 867-0069) will be handling classroom maintenance for me while I’m out, so feel free to contact her with any problems you have from the beginning of July through mid-August. The instruction sheets on the podiums will be updated with her information and will again be changed back to my information when I return to work.

– submitted by Rebecca Peterson, Library Learning Services

Save the Date: Libraries’ blood drive June 21

Blood drives are back in Mann! If you have been at Pattee/Paterno Libraries for a while, you’ll remember that we used to have blood drives in the Mann Assembly Room. For this area of campus,

For this area of campus, blood drives were moved to the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center soon after it’s completion. Due to construction in Pasquerilla this summer, we will be assisting the Red Cross with a special in-house blood drive. Don’t worry…they bring all their own equipment and protect the carpet!

So help us help the Red Cross and save the date — from noon to 5:30 p.m. on June 21 as the University Libraries will sponsor a Red Cross blood drive in the Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Penn State is asked to supply over 5,000 units (or pints) of blood each year toward maintaining community blood supplies. Summer is a difficult time, especially during this first summer session when there are few people on campus. So whether you are an experienced donor or a first timer, make the commitment to help someone else in need this month.

Appointments are recommended. You can make yours by visiting www.redcrossblood.org and
searching either by zip code (16802) or sponsor code (psu). Our drive goal is to collect 25 units of blood with 34 people pre-registered. If you need help scheduling, want more information, or are a first time donor who wants some moral support, contact me, I can help — this will be my 97th donation.

– information provided by Wendi Keeler, External Relations

HR Forum June 13

Our next quarterly HR Forum is scheduled for 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13 in Foster Auditorium 102 Paterno Library, University Park and available via MediaSite Live for those who may not be able to join us in person. Participation is open to everyone.

This Forum will feature an update on the status of the HR Business Process Transformation. Additional agenda items will be shared in advance of the Forum and there will be time for questions as well.

We hope you will join us. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Rob Harris
Human Resources Manager
The Pennsylvania State University – University Libraries
511 Paterno Library
University Park, PA 16802

Email: rch20@psu.edu
Telephone: (814) 863-4275
Dept: (814) 863-4949
Fax: (814) 863-5592

Pink slips of the tongue: How to recover from a catastrophic comment

Nearly everyone has either seen or suffered from a catastrophic comment. Research from the Association of Talent Development shows that 83 percent of people surveyed have witnessed their colleagues say something that has had catastrophic results on their careers, reputations and businesses.

Sixty-nine percent admit to personally making a catastrophic comment.

While putting your foot in your mouth is easy to do, this article provides three tips for recovering from catastrophic comments.

– submitted by Carmen Gass, User Training Services

Reminder: University Libraries United Way Tag Sale June 13

On Tuesday, June 13, the University Libraries United Way will be holding a tag sale at University Park from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library.

Donations can be brought to Amy Miller in Common Services through Monday, June 12.

All proceeds benefit Centre County United Way.